The balancing act that is VOIP

One of the main challenges behind the increase in adoption of voice over IP (VOIP) technology within the corporate market lies in the quality of the call.

Unlike e-mail, latency does affect the end product in voice. An e-mail will be sent and arrive as a solid unit, there is no break in transmission or delay in receiving the whole package. The same cannot be said for voice.

The trickle affect as voice is transmitted can be adversely influenced and the end result is an incomplete or distorted sound. This leaves many a decision-maker seriously considering sticking to traditional telecommunications infrastructure and systems.

This sense of frustration is exacerbated by the fact that many managers are aware of the tangible benefits associated with VOIP. One of its primary advantages is that it enables expedient and direct landline contact irrespective of physical location at a reasonable rate.

In business this is thought-provoking value-add, especially in light of the rise in mobile operations and workers. The mobile office is now an established reality in most markets, both developing and developed.

It essentially means that the business is in constant communication with its customers, partners and personnel at any time and at any place. It also means that as the company or business develops, so too does its capacity to digitally interact and communicate.

Although dependent on existing telecommunications tariffs and running costs, the integration of VOIP infrastructure can represent a cost saving for the business in terms of fixed-line costs. This is food for thought considering it can be cheaper to route a local or national call via an overseas network back home, rather than making a direct call.

Unfortunately, one also has to bear in mind the hidden cost relevant to bandwidth.

Another key issue affecting the growth of VOIP is Telkom and interconnect services. This discrepancy between the telecommunications service provider and local VOIP service providers continues to impact on the market. Obviously the use of VOIP services over Telkom lines is an ongoing subject of scrutiny in the market.

It is becoming more evident that the market is engaging in higher levels of discussion about the issue of interconnect.

Additionally, the market continues to grapple with setting priorities on services. This is directly related to quality of service and accurately weighing up business benefits against costs.

There is certainly more activity in the market in general. The levels compel those wishing to integrate VOIP to consider the prospect of outsourcing.

VOIP is a specialised field that requires specific expertise. While there are technologies available to address VOIP and the need to compress voice calls, there is no debating the value offered by a credible, established outsource services partner.

Whatever the route taken by a company or business, it would be prudent of managers and decision-makers to strategise around their position on VOIP and how this will impact on business opportunity and volume.